Paint ball caddy

ABSTRACT

A paint ball caddy is provided for use with competitive paint ball guns as a means for conveniently transporting paint balls for use as ammunition. The paint ball caddy has a body that accompanies the entire contents of a conventional paint ball carton, but which includes a pouring spout and a handle on the body that can be gripped to tip the paint ball caddy and pour a quantity of paint balls out of the spout in a controlled manner. The top of the paint ball caddy is provided with a large refill opening, which may be closed with a removable lid. Paint balls may be poured from the caddy into smaller, conventional paint ball canisters, or directly into the hopper of the magazine of a conventional paint ball gun.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present the invention is a device for storing, transporting, and dispensing paint balls that are used in paint guns of the type utilized in competitive games in which opponents use the paint guns to shoot paint balls at each other or at targets.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] In recent years the use of paint guns to shoot paint balls as a means of target practice has become increasingly popular. Paint guns of this type are shaped generally in the form of an elonggated automatic weapon having a relatively long barrel, a stock, a trigger mechanism, and an ammunition receiving chamber located between the stock and the barrel. A small magazine or hopper is typically located atop the chamber and feeds paint balls into the chamber, one at a time, in response to actuation of the trigger mechanism. Competitive opponents utilize paint guns of this type to shoot paint balls at each other and attempt to surpass the other opponents in speed and accuracy. The paint balls burst upon impact leaving a mark of paint at the point of impact. The impact of the paint balls upon an opponent causes no pain, but registers a mark upon the body or clothing of the targeted participant that indicates a point of impact.

[0005] In conventional practice the paint balls are formed as spherical balls of congealed paint about eleven-sixteenths of an inch in diameter. A few of these paint balls can be carried in a magazine or hopper that is mounted atop a paint gun and which discharges the paint balls into the loading mechanism of the paint gun as the user fires the gun. However, these magazines can carry only a limited supply of the paint balls which are usually used up rather rapidly.

[0006] Additional paint balls can be carried in tubular canisters which fit into pockets or loops of a bandolier. These canisters are typically about five inches in length and about two and three-eighths inches in diameter. Canisters of this type accommodate approximately 100 paint balls, when filled. The bandoliers in which the canisters are carried are normally strapped about the user's waist but can be worn diagonally across the user's chest or back.

[0007] Currently, paint balls that are utilized as ammunition as described above are sold within shapeless plastic bags that are packaged in large, rectilinear paperboard cartons. Paint balls are often sold in lots of 1000 in this manner.

[0008] In conventional practice a user attempts to pour a smaller number of paint balls from the plastic bag in a carton directly into the smaller canisters or into the magazine attached to the top of the paint gun. However, very frequently the paint balls spill as the user attempts to fill the canister or magazine in this fashion. When the paint balls spill, they sometimes break. Since each paint ball costs approximately five cents, this can represent a significant loss. In actual practice it typically takes two people to pour the paint balls from the cartons in which they are sold into the paint ball canisters or magazines that are often utilized with paint ball guns.

[0009] Also, it is rather cumbersome for the user to attempt to carry the paperboard box or to carry the plastic bag without the box. There has heretofore been no satisfactory method for transporting an adequate number of paint balls for use as ammunition in contests or for transferring quantities of the paint balls from the bulk packages in which they are sold to the paint ball canisters and paint ball gun magazines that are so widely utilized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] According to the present invention, a paint ball caddy is provided which will accommodate the entire contents of a conventional bulk paint ball carton, but which includes a pouring spout that may be utilized to dispense the paint balls into the smaller paint ball canisters or directly into the magazine on top of the paint ball gun. The paint ball caddy dispenses the paint balls much more efficiently than has been possible by attempting to pour paint balls from a plastic bag into canisters or directly into the magazine on the gun.

[0011] The paint ball caddy of the present invention has a cylindrical, drum-shaped or barrel-shaped container approximately eight inches in height and about six inches in diameter. At its top the paint ball caddy has a pouring spout shaped as a slightly tapered, frustoconical structure that has an opening at its upper extremity, preferably about two inches in diameter. The pouring spout is located on one side of the barrel-shaped body. A handgrip is attached to the outside surface of the body, on the side thereof opposite the pouring spout.

[0012] On the other side of the container top, opposite the pouring spout, a raised, semicircular rim is formed that surrounds a semicircular opening in the top. Paint balls can be easily poured from the plastic bags in the bulk cartons in which they are sold into the paint ball caddy of the invention through the semicircular opening in the top of the caddy.

[0013] The paint ball caddy of the invention also includes a semicircular cap with a lifting tab that fits onto the raised rim to close the fill opening in the caddy once the body of the caddy has been filled with paint balls. Thereafter, when the user lifts and tilts the caddy to pour paint balls out of the spout and into canisters or the magazine of a paint ball gun, the cap over the semicircular refill opening prevents the paint balls from spilling out.

[0014] In one broad aspect the invention may be considered to be a paint ball caddy for transporting, storing, and dispensing paint balls. The paint ball caddy of the invention is formed with a hollow, barrel-shaped body having a bottom and a top equipped with a pouring spout having a distal, circular dispensing opening between about three-quarters of an inch and about three inches in diameter. The caddy also has a refill opening larger in area than the dispensing opening. A refill cover is provided for selectively closing and exposing the refill opening. A handle is attached to the barrel-shaped body.

[0015] In another broad aspect the invention may be described as a paint ball caddy comprising: a container having a laterally enclosed floor, wall surfaces extending upwardly about the entire perimeter of said enclosed floor, a top located at the upper extremities of the wall surfaces, the top including a pouring spout with an interior cross section that narrows from the upper extremities of the wall surfaces to a distal tip having a circular pouring opening defined therein between about three-quarters of an inch and about three inches in diameter. The top also defines a refill opening larger than the pouring opening, a handle attached to the wall surfaces, and a lid removably positionable on the refill opening.

[0016] In still another aspect the invention may be described as an article for transporting and dispensing paint balls. The article is comprised of a container having a top, a bottom, and upright, laterally encompassing sidewalls extending between the top and bottom to define a paint ball storage enclosure. A pouring spout is provided at the top in communication with the paint ball storage enclosure. The pouring spout terminates in a distal paint ball dispensing opening having a circular cross section between about three-quarters of an inch and three inches in diameter. A refill opening is defined in the top of the container. The refill opening is greater in area than the paint ball dispensing opening. A lid covers the refill opening and is displaceable to uncover the opening. A carrying handle is attached to the laterally encompassing sidewall.

[0017] The invention may be described with greater clarity and particularity by reference to the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018]FIG. 1 illustrates a paint ball caddy according to the invention being utilized to fill the magazine of a paint gun

[0019]FIG. 2 illustrates a paint ball caddy according to the invention being utilized to fill a conventional paint ball canister.

[0020]FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view of the paint ball caddy shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0021]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the paint ball caddy illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0022]FIG. 5 bottom plan view of the lid employed in the paint ball caddy of FIG. 3, shown in isolation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

[0023]FIG. 1 shows a paint ball caddy 10 and illustrates the manner in which it can be utilized to pour a supply of paint balls 12 into a paint ball magazine 14 mounted atop a conventional paint ball gun 16. Both the magazine 14 and the paint ball gun 16 are shown in phantom. FIG. 2 illustrates how the same paint ball caddy 10 can be utilized to fill a conventional paint ball canister 18.

[0024] The paint ball caddy 10 has a drum-shaped, or barrel-shaped body 20, formed of plastic with an upright, cylindrical, outer wall surface 22 and an upright, cylindrical, inner wall surface 24. The wall surfaces 22 and 24 extend upwardly about the entire perimeter of a flat, circular bottom 26 which has an outer diameter of seven inches. The inner surface of the container bottom 26 forms an upwardly facing enclosed floor 28. The outer wall surface 22 extends upwardly a distance of about eight inches and terminates at a top 26. The paint ball caddy 10 thereby defines a generally cylindrical cavity or paint ball enclosure 30 having a cubic volume greater than one gallon.

[0025] On one side of the top 26 the paint ball caddy 10 is formed with a frustoconical pouring spout 32, the inner surface of which forms a funnel 34 that terminates in a circular distal discharge or dispensing opening 36, preferably about two inches in inner diameter. The pouring spout 32 has a slight taper so that the funnel 34 narrows from a maximum diameter of about two and a half inches proximate the top of the paint ball enclosure 30 to two inches in diameter at the paint ball dispensing opening 36.

[0026] The pouring spout 32 is located off center on the top 26, proximate the wall surfaces 22 and 24. The outer periphery of the base of the pouring spout 32 proximate the paint ball storage enclosure 30 is located at the periphery of the top 26 so that there is a smooth transition between the top of the storage enclosure 30 where it ends at the upper extremity of the interior wall surface 24 and the interior funnel wall 34. This allows the paint balls 12 to flow unimpeded by any obstruction out of the cylindrical paint ball enclosure 30, through the frustoconical funnel 34 and out of the dispensing opening 36.

[0027] The pouring spout 32 is formed on the side of the top 26 opposite a refill opening 38. The refill opening 38 is larger in area than the dispensing opening 36, and preferably is between about tem and about fifteen square inches in area. Preferably, the refill opening 38 has an interior diameter of six inches. The arcuate portion of the refill opening 38 follows the contour of the wall surfaces 22 and 24 and is located opposite the pouring spout 32.

[0028] The paint caddy 10 is equipped with a plastic cap 40 that is removably engageable with the refill opening 38. The top 26 of the paint ball caddy 10 is formed with an upright rim 42 that projects upwardly from the surrounding flat surface of the top 26 a distance of 0.40 inches. The rim 42 has a semicircular, annular shape that surrounds the refill opening 38. The rim 42 has a thickness of about 0.04 inches.

[0029] The cap 40 is formed with a pair of concentric gripping walls in its underside, including an outer wall 44 and an inner wall 46. The walls 44 and 46 in the underside of the lid 40 form a semicircular channel 48 therebetween, as illustrated in drawing FIG. 5. The width or gap of the channel 48 is about 0.04 inches. The outer wall thickness of the wall 44 is about 0.08 inches, and the height of the outer wall 44, as measured from the flat top surface 50 of the lid 40, is about 0.315 inches. The thickness of the inner wall 46 is a 0.04 inches and the inner wall height is 0.354 inches.

[0030] The lid 40 is a cap that is removably engageable with the refill opening 38. The size and shape of the rim 42 and the channel 48 defined between the inner wall 46 and outer wall 44 of the lid 40 are such that the lid 40 may be pressed downwardly to tightly close the refill opening 38. The rim 42 conforms to the shape of the semicircular channel 48 between the otter wall 44 and inner wall 46 of the lid 40. The lid 40 is thereby snugly attached to the top 26 of the paint caddy 10 and is secured to the rim 42 by the force of friction.

[0031] The lid 40 is provided with a laterally projecting, rectangular-shaped lift tab 52. The lift tab 52 projects radially outwardly from the arcuately curved edge of the outer wall 44 of the lid 40, preferably a distance of about one inch. The width of the lift tab 52 is also preferably about one inch, and the lift tab 52 may have a thickness of 0.04 inches.

[0032] The paint caddy 10 is also provided with a handle 54 which is formed as a generally U-shaped grip having upper and lower legs 56 and 58 that are attached to the outer surface 22 of the barrel-shaped body 20 at vertically separated locations. The handle grip legs 56 and 58 are preferably spaced about five inches apart and project outwardly from the outer wall surface 22 of the paint caddy body 20 a distance of about one and a quarter inches. The grip 54 may have a thickness of about 0.25 inches, as measured perpendicular to the axis of alignment of the paint caddy body 20, and may have a width perpendicular to its thickness of about one inch. The rigid legs 56 and 58 of the handle 54 are rigidly joined to the barrel-shaped body 20 beneath the side of the top 26 in which the refill opening 38 is formed. That is, the handle 54 should be located on the side of the paint caddy 10 opposite the side at which the pouring spout 32 is located.

[0033] To utilize the paint caddy 10, the lid 40 is first lifted by means of the gripping tab 52 to disengage the channel 48 between the outer and inner walls 44 and 46 of the lid 44 from the upright rim 42 surrounding the refill opening 38. With the lid 44 removed, the mouth of the conventional plastic bag in which paint balls 12 are sold in bulk is inserted through the refill opening 38, and the paint balls 12 are then emptied from the bag into the paint ball enclosure 30 of the paint ball caddy 10. The paint ball enclosure 30 will accommodate the entire quantity of 1000 paint balls sold in a conventional paint ball bag.

[0034] The lid 40 is then pressed downwardly onto the top 26 with the channel 48 in the underside of the lid 40 in registration with the rim 42 surrounding the refill opening 38. The lid 40 is thereby attached to the top 26 of the paint caddy 10, by the grip of the lid walls 44 and 46 against the rim 42 at the top of the paint caddy body 20.

[0035] The user may then utilize the paint caddy 10 as a convenient, readily transportable, easily usable supply container. As illustrated in FIG. 1, to pour some paint balls 12 from the paint caddy 10 into the hopper of a conventional paint ball gun magazine 14, the user merely seizes the handle 54 and tilts the pouring spout 32 toward the opening of the hopper into the magazine 14 that receives the paint balls 12. The paint balls 12 will then tumble in a controlled manner into the open mouth of the hopper of the magazine 14. When the magazine 14 is filled, the user merely tilts the paint caddy 10 back from the pouring position shown in FIG. 1, to the upright position illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0036] The paint ball caddy 10 may be utilized in the same manner to refill conventional tubular paint ball cartridges 18 of the type illustrated in FIG. 2. The paint balls 12 can be poured into the canisters 18 by a single user, utilizing one hand to hold the handle 54 of the paint caddy 10 and the other to grip the paint ball canister 18.

[0037] Undoubtedly, numerous variations and modifications of the invention will become readily apparent to those familiar with paint ball guns and their accessories. For example, the body 20 of the paint ball caddy 10 does not necessarily need to have a cylindrical shape. It can have virtually any shape that provides a sufficient volume. Also, the handle does not necessarily need to be of a U-shaped configuration to form a closed loop with the outer wall surface of the paint caddy body. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not be construed as limited to this specific embodiment depicted and described, but rather is defined in the claims appended hereto. 

I claim:
 1. A paint ball caddy for transporting, storing, and dispensing paint balls formed with a hollow, barrel-shaped body having a bottom and a top equipped with a pouring spout having a distal, circular, dispensing opening between about three-quarters of an inch and about three inches in diameter, and a refill opening larger in area than said dispensing opening, a refill cover for selectively closing and exposing said refill opening, and a handle attached to said barrel-shaped body.
 2. A paint ball caddy according to claim 1 wherein said hollow, barrel-shaped body defines a paint ball enclosure with a volume greater than one gallon.
 3. A paint ball caddy according to claim 1 wherein said barrel-shaped body and said refill cover are both formed of plastic.
 4. A paint ball caddy according to claim 3 wherein said circular distal dispensing opening is about two inches in diameter and said refill opening has an area of between about ten and about fifteen square inches.
 5. A paint ball caddy according to claim 1 wherein said refill opening is surrounded by a rim projecting upwardly from said top and said lid is a removable cap that fits atop and frictionally engages said rim.
 6. A paint ball caddy according to claim 5 wherein said removable cap has a lifting tab that extends laterally outwardly and projects beyond said barrel-shaped body.
 7. A paint ball caddy according to claim 5 wherein said refill opening has a semicircular shape.
 8. A paint ball caddy according to claim 1 wherein said refill opening is located on one side of said top and said pouring spout is located on an opposite side of said top.
 9. A paint ball caddy according to claim 8 wherein said handle is a rigid handgrip rigidly joined to said barrel-shaped body beneath said one side of said top in which said refill opening is formed.
 10. A paint ball caddy according to claim 9 wherein said handle is a U-shaped grip having upper and lower legs attached to said barrel-shaped body proximate said top and bottom, respectively.
 11. A paint ball caddy comprising: a container having a laterally enclosed floor, wall surfaces extending upwardly about the entire perimeter of said enclosed floor, a top located at the upper extremities of said wall surface, said top including a pouring spout with an interior cross-section that narrows from said upper extremities of said wall surfaces to a distal tip having a circular pouring opening defined therein between about three-quarters of an inch and about three inches in diameter, said top also defining a refill opening therein larger than said pouring opening, a handle attached to said container, and a lid removably positionable on said refill opening.
 12. A paint ball caddy according to claim 11 wherein said container defines therewithin a paint ball enclosure having a cylindrical shape and said refill opening has a semicircular shape, the arcuate portion of which follows said wall surface.
 13. A paint ball caddy according to claim 12 wherein said spout is located off center on said top proximate said wall surface and opposite said arcuate portion of said refill opening.
 14. A paint ball caddy according to claim 13 wherein said pouring spout is about two inches in height and said circular opening therein is about two inches in diameter.
 15. A paint ball caddy according to claim 11 wherein said container has a storage capacity of at least one gallon.
 16. A paint ball caddy according to claim 11 wherein said refill opening is located on one side of said top and said pouring spout is located on an opposite side of said top and said handle is comprised of a handgrip that projects laterally outwardly from said container on a side thereof beneath said refill opening.
 17. An article for transporting and dispensing paint balls comprising: a container having a top, a bottom, and upright and laterally encompassing sidewalls extending therebetween to define therewithin a paint ball storage enclosure, a pouring spout at said top in communication with said paint ball storage enclosure terminating in a distal, paint ball dispensing opening having a circular cross section between about three-quarters of an inch and three inches in diameter, a refill opening in said top greater in area than said paint ball dispensing opening, a lid for covering said refill opening, wherein said lid is displaceable to uncover said refill opening, and a carrying handle attached to said laterally encompassing sidewalls.
 18. An article according to claim 17 wherein said pouring spout has an interior surface that forms a funnel having a circular cross section that has an internal diameter that narrows from about two and a half inches proximate said paint ball storage enclosure to about two inches at said paint ball dispensing opening.
 19. An article according to claim 18 wherein said paint ball storage enclosure is formed of plastic, is cylindrical in shape, and has a volume of at least one gallon capacity.
 20. An article according to claim 18 wherein said lid is a cap that is removably engageable with said refill opening and which includes a gripping tab that projects outwardly beyond said container. 